HSK · Level 23
135 words
Chinese word
难说
Pronunciation
Pinyinnán shuō
Meaning
- adjectivehard to say
Example
以后能不能成功难说。yǐ hòu néng bù néng chéng gōng nán shuō
It is hard to say whether we will succeed in the future.
More examples
目前市场前景难说。mù qián shì chǎng qián jǐng nán shuō
It is hard to say what the market outlook is at present.
Core concept
The matter remains beyond a clear answer, with its truth or outcome still uncertain.
Common phrases
很难说hěn nán shuō
hard to say
现在难说xiàn zài nán shuō
hard to say for now
谁也难说shuí yě nán shuō
no one can say
Similar words
不好说bù hǎo shuō: Difficult to answer quickly when a matter is complicated or needs further thought.
不确定bú què dìng: Uncertain because the result or fact has not become definite.
不清楚bù qīng chǔ: Not clear because the available information does not show what something is or how things stand.
Definition in Chinese
对未来结果或事情真相把握不足，难以给出明确的判断或答案。duì wèi lái jié guǒ huò shì qíng zhēn xiàng bǎ wò bù zú nán yǐ gěi chū míng què de pàn duàn huò dá àn
Word origin
难 (nán, "difficult") + 说 (shuō, "say") frames the matter as too difficult to put into a definite statement, which accounts for its modern use when certainty is lacking.
Usage tips
- When used alone after a question about what will happen, it keeps the answer open without choosing yes or no.
Other meanings
- unpredictableadjective
Opposites
- 肯定kěn dìngdefinitelyadverb
- 明确míng quèclearadjective